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R is For Reverse

A reverse is a trick play where the quarterback hands off to the halfback, who runs a lateral and then hands the ball off to the receiver. The offensive line has to act as though they’re protecting the halfback to draw the defense in the opposite direction of the receiver, who has to be quick enough to gain yardage. Hopefully, the weak side defender will fall for the fake; if not, he’ll be in the perfect position to stop the receiver. When a reverse works well, it’s an exciting play that gets the fans involved. When it fails, it usually fails spectacularly.